Bangalore: BJP corporator Mohan Padil on Sunday refuted allegations that he was the mastermind behind the Mangalore homestay attack.

Thirteen students, including five girls, attending a birthday at the homestay on the outskirts of Mangalore were targeted by alleged activists of 'Hindu Jagarana Vedike' who accused them of indulging in "immoral activities".

A week after the incident, Padil said the attackers should be punished as per law but challenged the police version that the victims were holding a birthday party at the homestay.

"The refrigerator at the homestay was filled with hot drinks, beer bottle and soft drinks. The revellers say they were celebrating birthday party, but there was no cake found anywhere at the homestay. How can they justify they were celebrating a birthday..?," he told.

Denying that he had prior information about the attack, the corporator said he reached there when the incident was almost over and tried to pacify a crowd even as police arrived.

However, he said, police began lathi charging the crowd as one person abused the police commissioner, he claimed. "I questioned the wisdom of police resorting to lathi charge when the people had not indulged in arson or looting," he said.

Padil said police took him into custody thereafter and later released him after locals gathered at the police station protesting his arrest.

He refuted allegations that he was the mastermind of the attack, saying if he had committed it, Congress corporators would not have protested his being taken into custody at the Council meeting.

Just because he had earlier cautioned the homestay caretaker against playing blaring music till early morning, it was wrong to say he was the mastermind of the attack, he said.

Padil also disagreed that the attack was carried out by his supporters. "If they were my supporters such an incident would not have happened.., " he said.

Twentythree persons, including Subhash Padeel (who is the city coordinator of Hindu Jagarana Vedike), have been arrested in connection with the July 28 incident.